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ORLANDO M. TI'IOII LESS, OF NEIVARK, NEWV JERSEY.

PROCESS OF OBTAINING MANGANESE ALLOYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,910, dated September 25, 1888.

Application filed April 18, 1887. Serial No. 235,146. (Specimens) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLANDO M. Tnow- LESS, of Newark, Essex county, New Jersey,

have invented a new and useful Process of Obtaining Manganese Alloys, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to simplify and cheapen the process of obtaining alloys of manganese and to obtain a more perfect result in the extraction of the manganese.

Heret ofore manganese alloys have been made by first extracting metallic manganese by fusing the black oxide with lampblack and oil at a very high heat, whereby a button of metallic manganese is obtained, and then melting this button with the requisite amount of copper or other metal to form the necessary alloy. Another and later method has been to fuse ferro-manganese with a large amount of wroughtiron scrap, such amount depending upon the amount of manganese contained in the ferro-manganese used, and then to add the copper necessary to form the alloy. The first of these methods has not been put into operation, owing to its expense and the dit'ficulty of fusing the buttons of metallic manganese obtained. The second process, while being an advance in the art, is more complicated and expensive than my process, in thatalarge amount of wrought-iron scrap is first melted with the manganese material, while by my process I obviate this and obtain a more pcrfeet result. It has also been suggested that term-manganese and copper or other metals be melted together direct; but the objection to this is that the alloy, if any produced, would be largely contaminated with the iron. By my method I obtain alloys which are practi eally free from iron.

In carrying out my invention I take the term-manganese of commerce and mix with it silex,(which I preferably use in powder form,) eryolite, and copper, nickel, tin, or other metal, according to the nature of the alloy desired, in varying proportions. The eryolite is used as a tlux, and may be replaced by any other suitable flux. The ferromanganese used in carrying out this process contains about sixty-five per cent of manganese. The silex used is ordinary white sand as free as possible from iron. It is not pure silica.

I have found the following proportions work well in practice: ten parts of ferro-manganese, three parts of silex, one part of cryolite, and ten parts of copper or other desired metal. These proportions produce an alloy which is very rich in manganese, but which is capable of being remeltcd without much difficulty for the purpose of adding more copper or other metal thereto, if desired.

If it is desired to produce an alloy less rich in manganese by the one process, more copper or other metal than the percentage above named may be used.

The mixture above described is-placed in a crucible or other similar vessel and subjected to heat in a furnace, and when melted the contents of the vessel are poured out, the man ganese alloy running into a mass separately from the other contents of the vessel, which latter run off in the form of slag. The action which has taken place during the reduction would appear to be that the silex and flux have combined with the larger part of the iron and the copper or other desired metal has alloyed with the manganese, thus causing the alloy to be set free and run off in a separate mass.

In making these alloys on a large scale I do not confine myself to the use of crucibles or other such vessels, as the process can be successfully carried out by my method above described in any furnace such as is used for the reduction of iron.

IVhen. the mixture has been melted, as above referred to, the contents of the vessel are poured out, and in pouring out the contents the alloy will first run off in a liquid state, and then the other contents of the vessel, being heavier, will follow in the form of slag.

\Vhat I claim is That improvement in the process of obtaining alloys of manganese which consists in mixing ferro-manganese with silex, a metal, and a flux, subjecting the mixture to heat in a suitable rcceptacle, and separating the alloy from the contents of the vessel by pouring it out of the receptacle in a liquid form, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ORLANDO M. THOIVLESS.

Witnesses:

WM. H. Mnxnowonorr, W. S. BLAoK. 

